Soccer Training Device

ABSTRACT

An inside foot soccer pass training device is disclosed. The passing device includes a curved race and a foot carriage that can travel from one end of the race to the other. The curved race guides the foot carriage into a proper technical position, which allows a user to improve their technique of the inside foot soccer pass. Embodiments include multiple tracks, an overall tensioner designed to strengthen inner leg muscles, an impact device designed to mimic the feel of hitting an actual soccer ball, and electric force monitors to compute both the impact the foot carriage makes on the impact device and the force on the foot carriage as it moves along the race.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/857,576, filed on July 23, 2013. The entire teachings of the aboveapplication are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the practice of passing a soccer ball, there is a correct motion thatdelivers the highest quality pass. A pass is the striking of a ball tosend the ball to a target. Generally a high quality pass is one wherethe center of the inside foot moves and follows through the center ofball, resulting in a pass that rolls (i.e., doesn't bounce), goesdirectly to the target, and is hit with the proper weight.

The inside foot pass is the most conventional way to move the ball fromplayer to player. Being able to successfully and constantly hit passesto your target is a necessary quality of a trained soccer player. Theinside foot passing motion is the most common ball striking motion aplayer needs to execute, occurring thousands of times each game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

User stands with one foot (stationary foot) on the ground (positioned onthe placement diagram), and one foot in the foot carriage. User's kneesare bent. User swings striking foot (foot in carriage), taking a backswing, hitting the impact device at bottom of the arc, and followingthrough to an end of the curved race. User repeats this motion over andover. Resistance can be adjusted to the overall swing motion.

This device correctly teaches the mechanics of the optimal passingmotion, along with providing features that strengthen and measure thismotion. This device provides benefits to all levels of players, frombeginners who are initially learning and building muscle memory of thecorrect passing technique, to professional players who are strengtheningthe passing muscles and perfecting their technique.

The soccer device is configured of a track for which there is anattached foot carriage. The track is curved, possibly in an arc shape,and can have grooves that allow the foot carriage to move in bothdirections. The foot carriage can also move along the metal rails by wayof rollers on the foot carriage. Alternate versions consist of twotracks.

The foot carriage can position a foot angled level or upwards (toeshigher than or equal in height to the heel), causing the ankle to belocked in a firm upward or flat direction. At the bottom of the trackarc, is the impact device carriage. The impact device carriage can bepositioned so that the foot carriage will hit the impact device in thecenter of the foot, with the inside of that foot carriage's footcompletely open to the impact device. The impact device is positioned atthe lowest point on the curved race.

There are several ways the impact device can move out of the way oncehit by the foot carriage. One version has the impact device on aseparate track. In the version where the impact device has a separatetrack, the impact device carriage travels until the device stop. Thestop mechanism will send the impact device carriage back to where thefoot carriage made initial contact, at the lowest point on the track.The stop mechanism, in addition to bouncing back the impact devicecarriage to the race start, may also be outfitted with electronicsensors that calculate the speed and distance the impact device carriagewas hit by the foot carriage. When the foot carriage passes back overthe top impact device (foot carriage returns to track start), the impactdevice springs down out of the way so that unimpeded the foot carriagecan make another full swing, allowing the foot carriage to return therace start with no resistance. The impact device instantly returns tothe start of the race (at the lowest point of the track) by a spring.

In another version the impact device is on the same track as the footcarriage, and when the foot carriage hits the impact device they attachby magnets. When the foot carriage returns back to the start after auser repetition, the impact device leg drops back into the impact devicebracket, causing the impact device and foot carriage to disengage. Sincethe impact device returns to the device bracket when the foot carriagepasses back over, there is no user delay. Other versions mimic feel ofthe ball impact by using friction elements at the contact point of wherethe ball would be positioned—this feel could be created by air dampers,friction resistance, springs, or even magnets. The impact device enablesthe user to feel as though they are making contact with a soccer ball.

The rails may be elevated by two bases which keep the lowest point ofthe device (where the impact device is) 3-5″ inches off the ground. Thebases can be lowered up or down to correspond with different sizedsoccer balls (e.g., size 3, 4, or 5). By raising or lowering the base, auser can adjust how high the point of contact the impact device is whenhit by the foot carriage. Preferably, the impact device is positioned ata height equal to the center of a soccer ball).

The foot carriage may include a resistance system that provides overalltension to the motion throughout the foot carriage's movement along thecurved rail. This resistance is the result of a tension cord that isattached to the bottom of the device and positioned to apply tension tothe back of the foot carriage. Pulleys position the tension device inplace. The overall tension device is adjustable and may include bungeecords, elastics, magnetic resistance, or an air resistance flywheelsimilar to a rowing machine. More expensive models of the device may bemagnetic which create a constant resistance throughout the user'smotion. The magnetic or air based resistance components may also includea flywheel which assists in recoiling the tension cord back up so thatthe user may practice repetitions without delay. Less expensive modelsmay create resistance thru elastics or bungee cord like materials.

An example embodiment of the present invention is a soccer trainingdevice comprising a curved race, the curved race having a first end at afirst height and a second end at a second height, and the curved ravedhaving a middle height less than the first height and the second height,a foot carriage configured to position a foot transverse to the race,said foot carriage riding along the curved race, and a tensionerconfigured to resist the movement of the foot carriage along the curvedrace. In some embodiments, the foot carriage is further configured toposition the toe higher than or equal to the heel with respect to thecurved race. The tensioner may include a flywheel. The curved rave maybe a single track. In some embodiments, the curved race is a circulararc section, in other embodiments the curved race is a variable arcsection with an increasing radius from the first end to the second end.

In some embodiments, the tensioner is configured to resist the movementof the foot carriage in a first direction along the curved race andassist the movement of the foot carriage in a second direction along thecurved race. In one embodiment, the first end of the curved race ishigher than the second end of the curved race, and the tensioner isconfigured to resist the movement of the foot carriage along the curvedrace when traveling from the first end to the second end.

In some embodiment, the soccer training device includes an impact deviceadapted to be stuck by the foot carriage as the foot carriage moves fromthe first end of the curved race to the second end of the curved race.The impact device may include a sensor measuring a force imparted on theimpact device when struck by the foot carriage. The foot carriage may beconfigured to contact said impact device at a point approximately centerto said foot. In some embodiments, the soccer training device includesan impact device carriage; the impact device is located on the impactdevice carriage and the impact device carriage riding along the curvedrace. In other embodiments the impact device carriage traveling along aseparate impact device race. In some embodiments the impact device isadapted to permit the foot carriage to return to the first end of thecurved race without striking the impact device.

In another embodiment, the soccer training device includes a sensormeasuring at least one of: force on the foot carriage as the footcarriage moves on the curved race, repetitions, exercise time, caloriesburned, speed of the foot carriage, simulated speed of a soccer ball,and resistance.

Another example embodiment of the present invention is a soccer trainingdevice comprising a curved race, the curved race having a first end at afirst height and a second end at a second height, and the curved ravedhaving a middle height less than the first height and the second height,a foot carriage configured to position a foot transverse to the race,said foot carriage riding along the curved race, and a striker plate,the striker plate adapted to provide a resistance force on the footcarriage as the foot carriage moves from the first end of the curvedrace to the second end of the curved race.

Yet another example embodiment of the present invention is a soccertraining device comprising a curved race, the curved race having a firstend at a first height and a second end at a second height, and thecurved raved having a middle height less than the first height and thesecond height, a foot carriage configured to position a foot transverseto the race, said foot carriage riding along the curved race, and animpact device, the impact device adapted to be stuck by the footcarriage as the foot carriage moves from the first end of the curvedrace to the second end of the curved race.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of example embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tothe same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a single-track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device.

FIG. 2 shows a back view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an inside footsoccer pass training device where the impact device has a separate race.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded diagram view of the inside foot soccer passtraining device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view and an exploded diagram view of themagneto unit of the inside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows an exploded diagram view of the foot carriage of the insidefoot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the front support base of the insidefoot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the rear support base of the insidefoot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view and an exploded diagram view of theimpact device carriage of the inside foot soccer pass training device ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 11 shows an exploded diagram view of the impact device of theinside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 12 shows a top view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1 prior to the foot carriage making contact with the impactdevice and they remain unattached.

FIG. 13 shows a side view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1 after the foot carriage has made contact with the impactdevice and they are attached.

FIG. 14 shows a side view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1 at the moment of contact between the impact device and thefoot carriage.

FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a multiple track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device.

FIG. 16 shows a side view of a multiple track embodiment, usingnon-magnetic overall tension resistance, of an inside foot soccer passtraining device of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 shows a top view of the impact device and impact device track ofthe inside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of a bent rod embodiment of an insidefoot soccer pass training device.

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of a roller track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device.

FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of a slide track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device.

FIG. 21 shows a top view of the foot placement mat of an inside footsoccer pass training device.

FIG. 22 shows a top view of the soccer pass training device of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described withreferences to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the scope of the inventionencompassed by the appended claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for soccer ball (Europeanfootball) kicking training, and more particularly to the inside footsoccer pass motion.

Now referring to FIG. 1, an inside foot soccer training device isillustrated. The soccer pass training device has a curved track 1 with afront support base 4 and rear support base 5. On the track illustratedin FIG. 1 it illustrates a foot carriage 2, and an impact device 3supported by an impact device carriage 14. Near the rear support base 5is a magnetic flywheel 6, a tensioner 9, and pulleys 8.

The front support base 4 and rear support base 5 rests on the ground,floor, or other similar supporting surface. The curved track 1 ismounted on the support bases, so that the rear support base 4 positionsthe curved track 1 at a higher position in the rear than at the frontsupport base 5. The foot carriage 2 is connected to the curved track 1.The impact device 3, preferably made out of a material chosen to imitatethe feel of a foot impacting a real soccer ball, is mounted on theimpact device carriage 14. The impact device carriage 14 is connected tothe curved track 1. The rear support base 4 positions the flywheel 6,tensioner 9, and pulley 8 to be configured to enable the tension cord(shown as 17 in FIG. 14) to resist the motion of the foot carriage 2along the curved track 1.

Contusing to refer to FIG. 1, in operation, a user positions theirpassing foot on the foot carriage 2, with the inside of their passingfoot in the center of the foot carriage 2 and flush against the side ofthe foot carriage 2 that faces the impact device 3. The user'snon-passing foot is placed on the ground aimed in the direction of thepass to provide balance, support, and aim. The foot carriage 2 is notright foot or left foot specific, enabling a user to easily change theirbody position and train either foot in the correct inside foot passingtechnique. The user moves the foot carriage 2 so that it travels (fromthe user's back swing) along the curved track 1 at the rear support base4, contacting the impact device 3 near the middle of the curved track 1,and then to the front support base 5 (the user's swing follow thru). Asthe foot carriage 2 travels along the curved track 1, it contacts withthe impact device 3. The impact device 3 and the impact device carriage14 it is mounted upon are positioned at a low point near the middle ofthe curved track 1. This position replicates where on the user's passingswing their foot should make contact with a soccer ball during thecorrect inside foot passing technique. This position also places theimpact device 3 at a height equal to the center of a regulation sizeball (size 3, 4 or 5) so that a user's inside foot makes contact at thecorrect height. When the foot carriage 2 makes contact with the impactdevice 3, the impact device carriage 14 attaches to the foot carriageand the impact device 3 and impact device carriage 14 remain attached tothe foot carriage 2 all the way thru a user's follow thru.

When a user brings their leg back for another passing repetition, theimpact device 3 and impact carriage 14 de-attach once again at a setposition that is near the middle low point of the curved track 1. Theimpact device 3 detaches when the kick leg (shown as 15 in FIG. 10)falls into the kick leg bracket (shown as 16 in FIG. 4). The footcarriage 2 has an attached tension cord (shown as 17 in FIG. 14). A usercan adjust the resistance of the flywheel 6 to change the tension thefoot carriage 2 incurs as it travels along the curved track 1. When thefoot carriage 2 completes a passing motion and the user returns the footback to the rear support base 4, the tensioner 9 coils up the slack ofthe tension cord (shown as 17 in FIG. 14). The pulleys 8 position thetension cord (shown as 17 in FIG. 14) so that it provides constantresistance on the foot carriage 2 during the passing motion. Themechanism returning the impact device 3 to optimal position placement onthe curved track 1, and the tensioner 9 recoiling the tension cord aftera user's passing motion, allows a user to make quick and successiverepetitions.

FIG. 2 shows a back view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1. On the back view illustrated in FIG. 2 it shows the rearsupport base 5 is vertically larger than front support base 4, whichpositions the curved track 1 so that it is not a perfect circle. Thecurved track 1 position and shape makes a user have a steeper backswingand a level elongated follow thru. The impact device 3 shows it willmake contact in the center of the foot carriage 2. By making contact inthe center of the foot carriage 2 a user feels an impact in the centerof the inside foot. The foot carriage 2 illustrated has a raised footback portion to support a heel. Other more general shapes to the footcarriage 2 would not include a heel support or would include a raisedfoot front portion so that the user can train either their right of leftfoot on the inside foot soccer pass training device.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an inside footsoccer pass training device where the impact device 3 has a separaterace. In this embodiment the impact device 3 has a separate impactdevice track 10 and impact device slide mechanism 11.

The impact device 3 is attached to an impact slide mechanism 11. Theimpact slide mechanism 11 enables the impact device 3 to travel on theimpact device track 10. The impact device track 10 is cut into thecenter of the curved track 1. The impact device 3 is positioned so thata user makes contact in the center of the foot.

When the foot carriage 2 makes contact with the impact device 3, theimpact device slide mechanism 11 moves the impact device 3 on the impactdevice track 10 out of the way. Once a user has completed a swingrepetition and they bring the foot carriage 2 back from their followthru (towards rear support base 5) to complete another repetition, atorsion spring (shown as 3-6 in FIG. 11) folds the impact device 3 underthe foot carriage 2. When the foot carriage 2 has passed completely overthe impact device 3, the impact device springs back to the correctposition. This enables the foot carriage to return to a back swing andmake another repetition without being impeded.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded diagram view of the inside foot soccer passtraining device of FIG. 1. On the exploded diagram view in FIG. 4 newelements of the soccer pass training device of FIG. 1 shown are themagneto unit 12, a shaft 13, and a kick leg bracket 16.

The magneto unit 12 is positioned adjacent to the flywheel 6. There is ahole in the center of the flywheel 6, a hole in the center of themagneto unit 12, a hole in the center of the tensioner 13, and a spaceon the rear support base 5; a shaft 13 is placed thru to secure allthese elements compactly together. The kick leg bracket 16 is cut out ofthe curved track 1. The kick leg bracket is the space where the impactdevice carriage 14, has its kick leg (shown as 15 in FIG. 10) fall intothe kick leg bracket 16 so that the impact device and foot carriage canattach and unattached from one another at set exact location on thecurved track 1. This exact location is set where a user would make theimpact with the soccer ball on their swing.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1. On the side view illustrated, the front support base 4positions the center of the impact device 3 to be at a defined height.This defined height is equal to center of a soccer ball. The supportbases may on some embodiments have removable blocks that allow a user tochange the height of the impact device 3 to correspond with a Size 3(youth players under 8), Size 4 (players ages 8-12), or Size 5 soccerball (players ages 12+).

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view and an exploded diagram view of themagneto unit 12 of the inside foot soccer pass training device ofFIG. 1. The magneto unit 12 consists of a magneto unit frame 12-1 thatis circular in shape, with magnets 12-6 upon the magnet frame 12-5,placed on the magnet assembly 12-4. The magnets are exposed on theentire length of the circular magneto unit frame 12-1. Inside the magnetunit frame 12-1 is the tension block 12-2, assembly frame 12-3, springs12-7, bolts 12-8, washers 12-9, and nuts 12-10.

Magnets 12-6 in the magneto unit 12 provide resistance to the flywheel(shown as 6 in FIG. 1). Resistance is changed by varying the distancebetween the magnets and a spinning flywheel (shown as 6 in FIG. 1),which is attached to the tensioner (shown as 9 in FIG. 1) and tensioncord (shown as 17 in FIG. 14). A user can change the resistance with thetension adjustor (shown as 39 in FIG. 15). The magneto unit 12 providesa smooth, constant, and quiet resistance to a user. This resistancehelps the user build up muscle strength associated specially with theinside the foot soccer pass. The resistance feature is especially usefulfor experienced players who already have a good grasp of the correctinside foot soccer passing motion.

FIG. 7 shows an exploded diagram view of the foot carriage 2 of theinside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1. The foot carriage 2consists of a foot insert 2-8 mounted on top of the foot bracket 2-1.The foot bracket 2-1 encloses the track rollers 2-2 and the trackbearings 2-3, along with the spacers 2-4, nuts 2-5, shafts 2-6, bolts2-9 and 2-10, and washers 2-7 and 2-11. Magnetic strips 2-12 are on thefront of the foot bracket 2-1.

The hardware inside the foot bracket 2-1 (spacers 2-4, nuts 2-5, shafts2-6, bolts 2-9 and 2-10, and washers 2-7 and 2-11) securely fashion thetrack rollers 2-2 and the track bearings 2-3 onto the curved track 1, sothat the foot carriage 2 travels easily. The track rollers 2-2 movealong the top of the curved track 1 and the track bearings 2-3 movealong the grooves on the sides of the curved track 1. The magneticstrips 2-12 on the front of the foot bracket 2-1 are used to attach tothe impact device carriage 14 at the location of the kick leg bracket(shown as 16 in FIG. 4).

A user places their foot in the foot insert 2-8 and as a user movestheir leg causing the foot carriage 2 to easily travel on the curvedtrack 1.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the front support base 4 of theinside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1. The front supportbase 4 consists of a front bracket 4-1, mounted onto a removable frontsupport block 4-4 by screws 4-2 with washers 4-3. The support base couldbe made out of metal, plastic, or any material capable of supporting thecurved rail 1.

The removable front support block 4-4 allows the base to be lowered orraised. Raising the base moves the impact device 3 to correspond to thecenter height of different sized soccer balls.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the rear support base 5 of the insidefoot soccer pass training device of FIG. 1. The rear support base 5consists of a rear magneto bracket 5-1, mounted onto a removable rearsupport block 5-4 by screws 5-2 with washers 5-3. The support base couldbe made out of metal, plastic, or any material capable of supporting thecurved rail 1.

The removable rear support block 5-4 allows the base to be lowered orraised. Raising the base moves the impact device 3 to correspond to thecenter height of different sized soccer balls.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view and an exploded diagram view of theimpact device carriage 14 of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1. The impact device carriage 14 consists of a carriage frame14-1 that encloses a track roller 14-2 and the track bearings 14-3,along with the spacers 14-4, nuts 14-7, a bracket 14-8, bolts 14-6,washers 14-5, a torsion spring 14-9, and the kick leg 15. Magneticstrips 14-10 are on the front of the carriage frame 14-1.

The hardware inside the carriage frame 14-1 (spacers 14-4, nuts 14-7, abracket 14-8, bolts 14-6, and washers 14-5) securely fashion the trackroller 14-2 and the track bearings 14-3 onto the curved track (shown as1 in FIG. 1), so that the impact device (shown as 3 in FIG. 1) andimpact device carriage 14 travel easily. The track roller 14-2 movesalong the top of the curved track (shown as 1 in FIG. 1) and the trackbearings 14-3 move along the grooves on the sides of the curved track(shown as 1 in FIG. 1). The bracket 14-8 holds the torsion spring 14-9and kick leg 15 together at the rear of the impact device carriage 14.Magnetic strips 14-10 on the rear, i.e., facing the foot carriage (shownas 2 in FIG. 1), of the carriage frame 14-1 are used to attach theimpact device carriage 14 with the foot carriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 1).The kick leg 15 drops down into the kick leg bracket (shown as 16 inFIG. 4) to position the impact device (shown as 3 in FIG. 1)/impactdevice carriage 14 on the curved track (shown as 1 in FIG. 1) at thecorrect location.

When a user hits the impact device (shown as 3 in FIG. 1) with the footcarriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 1), the kick leg 15 is dislodged from thekick leg bracket (shown as 16 in FIG. 4) and the impact device carriage14 attaches to the foot carriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 1). The footcarriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 1) and impact device carriage 14 remainattached thru a user's follow thru and the start of their backswing,once the impact device carriage 14 returns to the initial contact point,the kick leg 15 drops back down into the kick leg bracket (shown as 16in FIG. 4) and the impact device carriage 14 and foot carriage (shown as2 in FIG. 1) un-attach again.

FIG. 11 shows an exploded diagram view of the impact device 3 of theinside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 3. The impact device 3consists of ball 3-3, a ball base holder 3-2, a ball bracket 3-1, atorsion spring 3-6, a bolt 3-4, and a nut 3-5.

The ball 3-3 is preferably made out of a material chosen to imitate thefeel of a foot impacting a real soccer ball and it is attached to thetop of the ball base holder 3-2. The ball base holder 3-2 is hinged tothe ball bracket 3-1 with the torsion spring 3-6, all of which isfastened together by the nut 3-4 and bolt 3-5. The ball bracket isattached to the impact device slide (shown as 11 in FIG. 3). The torsionspring 3-6 enables the ball base holder 3-2 and thus the ball 3-3 tofold up and down.

When the foot carriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 3) makes contact with theimpact device (shown as 3 in FIG. 3), the impact device slide mechanism(shown as 11 in FIG. 3) moves the impact device (shown as 3 in FIG. 3)on the impact device track (shown as 10 in FIG. 3) out of the way. Oncea user has completed a swing repetition and they bring the foot carriage(shown as 2 in FIG. 3) back from their follow thru to complete anotherrepetition, a torsion spring 3-6 folds the impact device 3 under thefoot carriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 3). When the foot carriage (2 as shownin FIG. 3) has passed completely over the impact device (shown as 3 inFIG. 3), the impact device (shown as 3 in FIG. 3) springs back to thecorrect position. This enables the foot carriage (shown as 2 in FIG. 3)to return to a back swing and make another repetition without beingimpeded.

FIG. 12 shows a top view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1 prior to the foot carriage 2 making contact with the impactdevice 3 and they remain unattached. As shown the kick leg 15 is stillsitting, not dislodged, from the kick leg bracket 16.

FIG. 13 shows a side view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1 after the foot carriage 2 has made contact with the impactdevice 3 and they are attached. As shown the kick leg 15 is dislodgedfrom the kick leg bracket (shown as 16 in FIG. 4). The impact devicecarriage 14 and foot carriage 2 are attached, but the added resistanceto the user is minimal.

FIG. 14 shows a side view of the inside foot soccer pass training deviceof FIG. 1 at the moment of contact between the impact device carriage 14and the foot carriage 2. When the impact device carriage 14 and the footcarriage 2 make contact the two attach by their magnet strips on thefoot carriage (shown as 2-12 in FIG. 7) and the magnet strips on theimpact device carriage (shown as 14-10 in FIG. 10). Simultaneously atimpact the kick leg 15 is dislodged from the kick leg bracket (shown as16 in FIG. 4). Also illustrated in FIG. 14 is the tension cord 17. Thetension cord 17 is attached to the foot carriage 2, and providesresistance to a user. The resistance to a user helps to strength legmuscles. The tension cord 17 can either apply tension from a resistancedevice, such as a magneto unit (shown as 12 in FIG. 1), or the tensioncord 17 could be a material, like bungee with elastic properties thatapply resistance on its own to a user when stretched. If the tensioncord 17 has elastic properties, the device can feature different elasticstrength tension cords 17 so the user can adjust for differentresistance levels.

FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a multiple track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device. The soccer pass training devicehas curved track 1-21 and curved track 2-22, with a front support base33 and rear support base 32. On the track illustrated in FIG. 15 itillustrates a foot carriage 23 supported by foot carriage track roller1-30 and foot carriage track roller 2-31. An impact device carriage 24holds a soccer ball contact apparatus 25 and features a hingedattachment 37. An impact device track 26 has an impact device stop 37.Near the front support base 33 is a follow thru stop 36. Near the rearsupport base 32 is a back swing stop 35. A magnetic flywheel/tensioner38, an overall tension cord 28, a pulley 34, an electric force sensor40, and tension adjustor 39 are positioned behind the rear support base32.

The front support base 33 and rear support base 32 rests on the ground,floor, or other similar supporting surface. The curved track 1-21 andcurved track 2-22 are mounted on the support bases. The support basesillustrated are the same height, and the curved tracks are a perfectarc, this setup could be altered so that the rear support base raisesthe track higher in the rear than the front; or the curved tracks maynot necessarily be a perfect arc, but rather feature a steep arc nearthe rear and a more gradual slope at the front (as shown in FIG. 1). Thefoot carriage 23 is connected to the curved tracks by a foot carriagetrack roller 1-30 and foot carriage track roller 2-31. The soccer ballcontact apparatus 25, is preferably made out of a material chosen toimitate the feel of a foot impacting a real soccer ball, is mounted onthe impact device carriage 24. The impact device carriage 24 that has ahinged attachment 37 is connected to a linear impact device track 26.The magnetic flywheel/tensioner 38, an overall tension cord 28, and apulley 34 are positioned behind the rear support base 32 so that theresistance comes during the passing motion. The impact device stop 27 isat the end of the impact device track 26. The back swing stop 35 is atthe rear of the device and the follow thru stop 36 is at the front ofthe device.

Contusing to refer to FIG. 15, in operation, a user positions theirpassing foot on the foot carriage 23, with the inside of their passingfoot in the center of the foot carriage 23 and flush against the side ofthe foot carriage 23 that faces the impact device 24. The user'snon-passing foot is placed on the ground aimed in the direction of thepass to provide balance, support, and aim. The foot carriage 23 is notright foot or left foot specific, enabling a user to easily change theirbody position and train either foot in the correct inside foot passingtechnique. The foot carriage may also be removable, allowing a user toremove the foot carriage 23 from the tracks, flip the foot carriage 23around, and train the user's alternate foot. A user moves the footcarriage 23 so that it travels from the back swing stop 35 along thecurved tracks, contacting the impact device carriage 24/soccer ballcontact apparatus 25 at the middle of the curved tracks, and to thefollow thru stop 36. As the foot carriage 23 travels along the curvedtracks, it contacts impact device carriage 24 or soccer ball contactapparatus 25, which causes them to travel the impact device track 26until its finish at the impact device stop 27. When the impact devicecarriage 24 reaches the impact device stop 27, a spring (shown as 29 inFIG. 17) pulls the impact device carriage 24 back to its initialposition in the middle of the curved tracks. The spring (shown as 29 inFIG. 17) could be any material capable of pulling the impact devicecarriage back into position. Once a user has completed a swingrepetition and they bring the foot carriage 23 back from their followthru (at the follow thru stop 36) to complete another repetition, ahinged attachment 37 folds the soccer ball contact apparatus 25 underthe foot carriage 23. When the foot carriage 23 has passed completelyover the impact device carriage 24, the hinged attachment 37 and soccerball contact apparatus 25 bounce back up to the particular height equalto the center of a soccer ball. This enables the foot carriage 23 toreturn to a back swing and make another repetition without beingimpeded.

The foot carriage has a tension cord 28 attached to the foot carriage23. A user can adjust a resistance with the tension adjustor 39 of themagnetic flywheel/tensioner 38 to change the tension the foot carriage23 incurs as it travels along the curved tracks. An electric sensor 40computes the force that the user exerted on the foot carriage 23 duringtheir swing.

FIG. 16 shows a side view of a multiple track embodiment, usingnon-magnetic overall tension resistance, of an inside foot soccer passtraining device of FIG. 15. In this embodiment the tension cord 28 isbungee or other material with elastic properties. Using an elastic basedmaterial provides a resistance to a user as they make a passing motionwith their foot in the foot carriage 23. After a user has completed apassing motion, as they bring their leg back to the back swing stop 35,an elastic based tension cord 28 helps pull the foot carriage 23, so auser only feels resistance during the passing motion (tension only whenthe elastic material stretches). The embodiment may feature a mechanismto stretch the tension cord 28 so that a user can increase or decreasethe resistance by altering the elastic resistance. The embodiment mayalso feature multiple and/or different strength elastic/bungee tensioncords 28.

FIG. 17 shows a top view of the impact device carriage 24/soccer ballcontact apparatus 25 and impact device track 26 of the inside footsoccer pass training device of FIG. 15. A spring 29 is illustrated. Thespring 29 pulls the impact device carriage 24 back to its initialposition in the middle of the curved tracks. The spring 29 could be anymaterial capable of pulling the impact device carriage back intoposition.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of a bent rod embodiment of an insidefoot soccer pass training device. The soccer pass training device hasbent rod tracks 43 and 44 with a front support base 46 and rear supportbase 45. On the track illustrated in FIG. 18 it illustrates a footcarriage 42, and a striker plate 41. The striker plate 41 is positionednear the middle of the tracks.

The positioning of the striker plate 41 is at the low point of the arc.The striker plate 41 resists the movement of the foot carriage 42 whenit passes thru the contact zone. This resistance is designed to mimicthe feel a user gets when impacting a soccer ball. The striker plate 41could provide resistance to the foot carriage 42 by a number of methods,including but not limited to: spring loaded linkage, air damper linkage,brake pad friction.

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of a roller track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device of FIG. 18. Rollers 47 aremounted to the center support tracks 43 and 44. The rollers allow thefoot carriage 42 to travel from the back support base 45 to the frontsupport base 46.

FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of a slide track embodiment of aninside foot soccer pass training device. In this embodiment, a profiledcutout 48 constrains the foot carriage 42. The profiled cutout issupported by the front support base 46 and rear support base 45.

FIG. 21 shows a top view of the foot placement mat 18 of an inside footsoccer pass training device. This placement mat 18 is positioned underthe soccer pass training device. The mat 18 may or may not be attachedto the soccer pass training device. The mat labels the correct positionof the plant foot. A user places the plant foot alongside the impactdevice (shown as 3 in FIG. 1), about 3-6 inches away. Correct placementby a user of the plant foot provides balance to a user and also aims totheir soccer pass.

FIG. 22 shows a top view of the soccer pass training device of FIG. 16.In this embodiment there is an electric sensor 41. The electric sensoris attached so that it can compute the force exerted by the footcarriage 23 on the soccer ball contact apparatus 25 and impact devicecarriage 24. This electric sensor allows a user to see how hard they arepassing, and can also convert that impact force into a measurement ofthe distance a soccer ball would travel.

What is claimed is:
 1. A soccer training device comprising: a curvedrace, the curved race having a first end at a first height and a secondend at a second height, and the curved raved having a middle height lessthan the first height and the second height; a foot carriage configuredto position a foot transverse to the race, said foot carriage ridingalong the curved race; and a tensioner configured to resist the movementof the foot carriage along the curved race.
 2. The soccer trainingdevice of claim 1, wherein the curved race comprises a single track. 3.The soccer training device of claim 1, wherein the curved race is acircular arc section.
 4. The soccer training device of claim 1, whereinthe tensioner includes a flywheel.
 5. The soccer training device ofclaim 1, wherein the tensioner is configured to resist the movement ofthe foot carriage in a first direction along the curved race and assistthe movement of the foot carriage in a second direction along the curvedrace.
 6. The soccer training device of claim 5, wherein the first end ofthe curved race is higher than the second end of the curved race, andwherein the tensioner is configured to resist the movement of the footcarriage along the curved race when traveling from the first end to thesecond end.
 7. The soccer training device of claim 1, wherein the curvedrace is a variable radius arc section, the curved race having anincreasing radius from the first end to the second end.
 8. The soccertraining device of claim 1, further comprising an impact device, theimpact device adapted to be stuck by the foot carriage as the footcarriage moves from the first end of the curved race to the second endof the curved race.
 9. The soccer training device of claim 8, furthercomprising a sensor measuring a force imparted on the impact device whenstruck by the foot carriage.
 10. The soccer training device of claim 8,wherein the foot carriage is configured to contact said impact device ata point approximately center to said foot.
 11. The soccer trainingdevice of claim 8, further including an impact device carriage, theimpact device being located on the impact device carriage, the impactdevice carriage riding along the curved race.
 12. The soccer trainingdevice of claim 8, further including an impact device carriage, theimpact device being located on the impact device carriage, the impactdevice carriage traveling along an impact device race.
 13. The soccertraining device of claim 8, wherein the impact device is adapted topermit the foot carriage to return to the first end of the curved racewithout striking the impact device.
 14. The soccer training device ofclaim 1, further comprising a sensor measuring at least one of: force onthe foot carriage as the foot carriage moves on the curved race,repetitions, exercise time, calories burned, speed of the foot carriage,simulated speed of a soccer ball, and resistance.
 15. The soccertraining device of claim 1, wherein the foot includes a toe and a heel,and said foot carriage is further configured to position said toe higherthan or equal to said heel with respect to the curved race.
 16. Thesoccer training device of claim 1, wherein said foot is a moving foot,further comprising a stationary foot placement indicator, the stationaryfoot placement indicator indicating correct placement of a stationaryfoot.
 17. The soccer training device of claim 1, wherein said foot is amoving foot and said stationary foot support is configured to support astationary foot when said moving foot is on said foot carriage, furthercomprising a stationary foot support.
 18. The soccer training device ofclaim 1, further comprising a base supporting the curved race, the baseincluding removable blocks adapted to raise and lower the curved racewith respect to the ground.
 19. A soccer training device comprising: acurved race, the curved race having a first end at a first height and asecond end at a second height, and the curved raved having a middleheight less than the first height and the second height; a foot carriageconfigured to position a foot transverse to the race, said foot carriageriding along the curved race; and a resistance device, the resistancedevice providing a resistance force on the foot carriage as the footcarriage passes through a striking region along the curved race tosimulate striking a soccer ball.
 20. A soccer training devicecomprising: a curved race, the curved race having a first end at a firstheight and a second end at a second height, and the curved raved havinga middle height less than the first height and the second height; a footcarriage configured to position a foot transverse to the race, said footcarriage riding along the curved race; and an impact device, the impactdevice adapted to be stuck by the foot carriage as the foot carriagemoves from the first end of the curved race to the second end of thecurved race.